You know you have writer's block incredibly bad when the simple title of a greetings thread frightens you. How do you not sound cliche? What if by attempting to not sound cliche you fall into the trap of becoming even more cliche? What does cliche even have to do with a title of a thread meant to be a hello? OK Step back ... Start again. Hiya ... Hey? Hola! No I got it! HELLO FELLOW EARTHLINGS! Scratch that. Drink more coffee. Start again. I'm a slightly (read as majorly) neurotic 30 yr old living in a country extremely outside of my comfort zone. Writing has been my steadfast brother-in-arms throughout my life and yet as I embarked on this border hopping journey to a new start I find the irrigation of ideas has been rerouted. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone and have a wonderful distraction reading, writing, and doing awesome chair dance solos to my background music. I know you do them too. Chair dancing is awesome. Anywho, Anyhow, Any questions? Feel free to ask. I'm around. Gypsy
Hello Gypsy, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please read How to Use the Review Room before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
That's a really good question. I didn't think it was going to be when I first decided to move here. I had stayed during long periods of time in Western Canada with my now husband and didn't feel it was so much different. We are now living in the Maritimes and to be honest. I both love it and hate it. It could possibly be outside of my comfort zone simply because while we are in this transitional period I am unable to work. This gives me ooodles of time to write and practice my chair dancing. It also gives me too much free time on my hands and a large financial burden on our relationship. Some things that are shocking to me no matter how many times I see it: 1. Sales Tax -- 15% is a lot to ask of someone buying toilet paper. 2. Cost of Groceries -- Things I would purchase for less than a $1 cost considerably more here. Still haven't wrapped my brain around prices here. 3. Caffeine - WOW Does Pepsi pack a punch. And oh boy those caffeine withdrawal headaches. Things that I am loving ... 1. The people - I have met some of the nicest people here. 2. The weather - What I thought would be a trial since I come from a warmer climate has actually only been an adjustment. Yes, I wear a lot more clothes than others here but I am not freezing (yet) 3. CFL - Football season is REALLY short and he only makes me watch one game a week. Woooooooo!!! One of the things I"ve been exploring is WHY I am so off-kilter here. As I discover this I hope to learn more about myself and get lots of fodder for future characters. To be honest with ourselves, it doesn't take much to throw us out of a comfort zone. A sudden construction detour that changes the daily route to or from work. A product that we purchase every time suddenly sold out or discontinued. It's our ability (or lack thereof) to cope and transition that makes all these minor details so interesting. I hope that answers your question somewhat.
